


Stowaway

by vaderina



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: M/M, There he is!, This is not hide and seek, where is percival graves?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 22:11:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13420659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: Since his case had been returned to him, Newt felt the presence of something new in it. The constant feeling of being watched along with his creatures acting funny made him think that somehow he'd acquired a stowaway. But why? And how?





	Stowaway

Something didn’t sit well with Newt. He’d had his case back and had the chance to go down and check on everyone. Yet something felt off. There was a presence that had not been there before and no matter where he looked there was always the feeling of being watched. It didn’t make sense. The presence didn’t feel malicious but wary, so much like a creature freshly brought in to his case. Some of his creatures were off kilter too. The nundu would grab a mouthful of food and run rather than wolf down all the meat as soon as it had been put out. She’d run back after hiding that first bite and then settle down to eat. The niffler had rusty handcuff in his nest, shiny patches of broken charms on the dull metal. No matter how much Newt had tried to take it, the niffler protected it more fiercely than any other treasure.

One evening Newt was sitting in the tundra with the obscurus and trying to ignore the feeling of eyes on his back. He’d taken to talking out loud in the hopes that whatever or whoever had taken up residence in his case would get used to him.

“So I’m leaving America in two days, I’ll have the case tied up to prevent anyone from escaping. It will be about a week before we make it to Southampton.” Newt said as he watched the obscurus twist in its bubble. It niggled at him. Something about it felt like he was on the cusp of knowing what he wasn’t seeing. The obscurus. It had been taken by Grindelwald to prove a point in his interrogation. What Newt couldn’t figure out was why the man had decided to look around Newt’s case. Creatures couldn’t be weaponised the Great War had proven that with the failed Dragon Corps. Grindelwald couldn’t have known about the obscurus tucked out of the way. Which meant….something. The scrape on the man’s cheek. It wasn’t something any of his creatures would have inflicted. No, that was more the signs of a scuffle, a fight. The handcuffs the niffler was guarding. The meat the nundu was hiding. It clicked. Grindelwald had brought someone down here, in the hopes his creatures would do his dirty work for him. Or when the case was impounded the aurors would have done it for him when the creatures had let him down.

With this new realisation in mind Newt began to chatter more around his creatures. He left human food and clothes out which, frustratingly, weren’t touched for a day. However, Newt persevered. He still had a day to convince the captive that they could leave, return to their normal life and not worry about Grindelwald. Under the pretence of telling his creatures about Frank’s great adventure Newt retold the happenings to the last few days. About how Grindelwald had been impersonating Director Graves but he’d been revealed as an impostor and was imprisoned, awaiting trial. As Newt was finishing his story he stumbled on a thought. Director Graves. Surely Grindelwald hadn’t tried to stash the man in his case. He had to try.

“Mr. Graves. I don’t know if it’s you in here but please, it’s safe to return. People are looking for you.” There was no reply. Newt sighed and headed for the door. “I leave for England tomorrow. I don’t think you want to come with me. I won’t tell anyone that you’ve been here if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The next morning the clothes Newt had left out were gone. Yet the lingering presence was still there and Newt wasn’t sure whether he was leaving with a stowaway when he tied the string around his case. Once on the boat, Newt settled into his cabin. The mooncalves tended to get seasick, no matter how much he spelled his case they always seemed to know when he travelled by boat. As soon as it was safe to go down, Newt hurried into his case to prepare the anti-sickness pellets to give them. First though, he wanted to check everyone was accounted for. Much to his surprise the mooncalves were happily snuggled in a pile, snoozing away the travel. Suspicious, Newt approached them and saw the remains of anti-sickness pellets. Newt scrunched his face up. He remembered mentioning about mooncalves hating seafaring in one of his rambles but he didn’t think someone would remember such a trivial fact. Or the recipe for his pellets. On the other hand it did answer his question about his stowaway.

“We’re out at sea now.” Newt began softly. “Thank you for taking care of the mooncalves while I couldn’t. I promise I won’t throw you out or demand you leave when we’re back home. In England I mean. But I would very much like to see you.”

He waited with bated breath and hoped he’d been heard. The feeling of being watched never left him and after a long minute there was a rustling to his left. A disillusionment charm fell aside by a small clump of trees and there stood Percival Graves. He looked battered, beaten and tired. Like a man who’d been on the run for too long. Newt couldn’t imagine what it felt like to feel there was nowhere left to go. Because if there had been then surely the man wouldn’t have camped out in his case in secret when there was an easy escape.

“There you are.” Newt smiled wide as he took in the man who stood so unsure in his case. “Would you like something to eat? I imagine you must be starving.”

Without looking back to check if he was being followed Newt set out towards his shack. He heard the soft footsteps behind him and smiled to himself as he cleared some space at the table.

“I can’t think you’ve been sleeping very well out there either, if you were constantly on the move to prevent being found. But now that’s not an issue why don’t you take the bed here? It will be more comfortable than out there. Here, this is all I’ve got for now but I’ll bring food down from the ship’s cafeteria at dinner time.” Newt didn’t leave much room for disagreement even though he never made anything into an order. Mutely his new companion sat at the table and stared at the food. Newt didn’t push him.

“Why are you doing this?” Those first words, barely above a cracked whisper gave cause for Newt to still.

“Well, I’d be a terrible host if I didn’t.” Newt replied lightly.

“You should throw me out. I invaded your case. Refused to leave when I could.”

“Are you good enough a swimmer to get back to America?” A silent shake of head was his only response. “Well then, I can’t very well throw you out, can I? And that’s if I had wanted to. But no, I don’t. You’re welcome to stay for as long as you want, until you’re ready to return home. Much like everything else in my case.”

“And if I never return?” The words were so quiet, so soft that Newt almost missed them.

“In that case, as long as you’re not a worse pest with pilfering paws than the niffler you can stay.” Newt shrugged and set about making the bed. He couldn’t begin to even fathom what was going through the other man’s mind. Instead of prying he let the man quietly contemplate things before lifting the glass of milk to his lips. It made Newt smile softly and he squeezed the other’s shoulder before he left the case.

By the time he returned with proper food Percival was fast asleep on the cot. His borrowed clothes neatly folded on the chair. Newt placed the food on the table and cast a few creature repellent charms on it. Behind him Percival was motionless in the bed. Too still actually and when Newt turned to look he saw two large, fearful brown eyes staring up at him.

“It’s just a bit of food in case you were hungry.”

“Thank you, Mr. Scamander.” The words were hoarse and uncharacteristically timid.

“My pleasure. And please, call me Newt.” He didn’t linger, instead he went out into the habitats to do his evening rounds. The nundu no longer ran off with a mouthful of meat but the niffler still guarded the handcuffs. A diricrawl froze and fixed beady eyes behind Newt.

“Are you okay?” Newt asked without turning. Percival stood next to him, a little further than what social norms would call acceptable but Newt found he didn’t mind the almost rude distance. Percival never answered his question so like with his creatures, Newt began a monologue.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to return to MACUSA.” Percival stiffened at that. “But as I said before, you can stay for as long as you need. You don’t have to explain yourself.”

“I don’t think they’d want me back.” Percival cut in.

“They’re still looking for you. Will you at least allow me to notify them that you’re with me?” Percival shook his head and Newt shrugged in acceptance.

“They didn’t notice. For months.”

“No wonder you don’t want to go back. It’s their loss. Want to come help me feed the nundu? I think she’s taken a liking to you.” Newt held out a bucket of meat for Percival to take. Their fingers brushed as Percival took it and Newt smiled. He could get used to Percival sticking around.

**Author's Note:**

> Come prod me on tumblr - @ladyoftheshrimp


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